Lessons from Reducing the Noise

As I write this, I am on vacation. As usual, I’m spending time on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Yesterday, I tried an experiment to reduce “man-made noise” – think emails, news feeds, social media, etc. By reducing the noise, I was able to tune into the nature-made sounds around me.  Waves lapped on the granite rocks, the wind rustled through trees, and even children laughed as they played outside.

Lessons  from reducing the noise

I’d like to share some specific things I observed during this experiment:

• I felt more conscious and present. In my daily life, I work intentionally to stay present with my clients. It improves the quality of the work and its outcomes. But yesterday, I found that it was easier to be fully present throughout the day. My consciousness and inner thoughts were more easily heard. Perhaps these thoughts were always running in the background but were drowned out by other “noise” coming at me in daily life.
• I was more grounded. While this sense of groundedness could be part of being fully present, it felt like I was more whole. I was connected to the earth and my essence in a deeper and more authentic way.
• I tuned in to the flow around me. It was easier to stop in my day to simply experience the beauty around me. On more scheduled days, the sometimes frantic pace of work and life interferes with pausing, so I’m less able to appreciate these small moments of awe.
• I experienced less tension and inflammation in my body. I noticed that I carried less stress and muscle tightness in my body. Reducing external noise adds stress to my day. The absence of this “man-made noise” reduced what I normally consume. I felt healthier and lighter with less stress.
• It was easier to recognize the things that nourished me. The quiet around me made it easier to be intentional and present in all my daily activities. That included what I ate, what I wrote, and where I walked, among other things. I noticed I was attracted to actions that nourished me. By reducing the noise, I can make the link between fewer distractions and seeing healthy choices.

These were just a few of the insights and observations I experienced when I intentionally reduced the man-made noises around me. Yet I noticed there were also times I actually wanted the distractions.

What happens without the noise

Yesterday, I chose to live without the tension. I chose not to turn on the TV or my phone to distract myself from being present. In these moments, I wondered:

• Why do I want to be distracted from my life?
• Would others experience a similar relationship to the external noise we all experience?
• Is this noise distracting us from something important?
• Does this noise contribute to a tendency to sleepwalk through life”?

There are days when I am connected to my devices, and the news triggers emotions that weren’t present earlier. Right now, I am just noticing the source of the emotions. I wonder if I should be paying more attention to them.

Less noise equals greater presence

By reducing the noise I experience less stress and anxiety I can be more conscious of inviting man-made noise into my life. I don’t want or intend to cut myself off from sources of information or entertainment. Yet this experiment has helped me see the internal and external sources of what I listen to, feel, and experience. I want to take more time to intentionally nourish my internal sources of thoughts and emotions. I want to make sure the messages from my body, mind, and spirit aren’t drowned out by the noise around me.

On a larger scale, I wonder about the impact of noise on our lives. I wonder how these external distractions may be acting as barriers to things trying to emerge in our system, if not the evolution of our collective future.

I wonder if any of you have tried this experiment. What did you notice? What lessons might you have for the rest of us?